Modelling
It is not realistic to expect the model to give reliable answers to very general, high level questions like “What is the most suitable technology for our industry?”. The final answer depends on complex (and often subjective) aspects like company priorities, predictions about the future, the decision maker’s perception of risk, etc.
However, a model can help the user reach the decision by answering more precise questions that can be numerically defined. Figure 1 shows a brief list of such questions used in this project.
There is a variety of energy modelling software available that can help answer these questions: HOMER, Merit, etc. However, none of these offered the transparency necessary for this project. Therefore the decision was made to develop a custom calculator.
Figure 1. Questions for the model